According to an internal announcement obtained by Above the Law, Cooley “will hold off enrolling incoming first-term students at the Ann Arbor campus for fall 2014.” The Ann Arbor location is one of four Cooley campuses in Michigan; a fifth campus is in Tampa, Florida.

As with most law schools across the country, Cooley Law School’s enrollment and revenue have continued to decline while health care and legacy costs continue to rise. Despite ongoing cost control efforts, the school can no longer avoid the financial imbalance between the revenue and expenses it faces. As a result, the Cooley board of directors and administration are instituting a financial management plan to reduce expenses significantly and right size the organization.

The plan will help the school remain at the forefront of innovative approaches to legal education and continue to deliver the broad, high-quality access to legal instruction students have come to expect from Cooley. It demonstrates the school’s commitment to maintaining its high level of academic excellence and support for current and future students.

The plan includes:

Faculty and staff reductions

A system wide review of each program for capacity and quality

A review of all campuses and facilities to reduce and rebalance costs

A review of all purchases, travel and other expenses

The Thomas M. Cooley Law School has a history of making transformative decisions in response to its students’ needs, while remaining financially strong. This aggressive financial management plan is designed to ensure that Cooley can continue its outstanding academic program while preparing for its next steps in the 21st century.